Forms of Roleplay: One-liners and Script

[Ecstasyia]

That's your oppinion and this is mine, and disrespectfull? Excuse me? No sir it's disrespectfull that you think One-liners are bad.

Your argument is really bad. An opinion is not disrespectful, what is disrespectful is coming on my roleplaying thread and only post un-detailed one liners. It is my opinion, and you allowed to have the same. So I am going to say one thing.


I hate one liners. Keep in mind, I said one liners, not the people doing them. So yes, I absolutely hate them. I think they are a sign of laziness. And no one can change my mind of what is detailed or not. I am not being rude or disrespectful, I am stating my opinions. No offense, but if you can't handle someone's harsh opinion than you shouldn't be on the internet. Now, I hope everyone is well and has a good day no hard feelings love.

 

[DennisR]

Your argument is really bad. An opinion is not disrespectful, what is disrespectful is coming on my roleplaying thread and only post un-detailed one liners. It is my opinion, and you allowed to have the same. So I am going to say one thing.
I hate one liners. Keep in mind, I said one liners, not the people doing them. So yes, I absolutely hate them. I think they are a sign of laziness. And no one can change my mind of what is detailed or not. I am not being rude or disrespectful, I am stating my opinions. No offense, but if you can't handle someone's harsh opinion than you shouldn't be on the internet. Now, I hope everyone is well and has a good day no hard feelings love.

You're right, and i shouldn't say that, anyways good luck with your roleplays ^^

 

[ApfelSeine]

"They are only written by people who don't know how to write anything more." or "They are just people starting out roleplaying."
This isn't true. Just because someone writes less doesn't mean they write bad or don't know how to write more. Just because someone doesn't write the way you do doesn't mean they are bad either. Lastly, just because someone DOES write a lot, doesn't mean they are good.

This is a very good point, and something that I think a lot of people miss. I have a friend who I've been collaborating on a novel with. You know what else we do? One line roleplays. We're both clearly capable of much longer prose, but we roleplay together for fun. Generally, we'll use a chat site, which lends itself well to one liners. It's rapid fire and fast paced, and can get very action packed.


We actually moved from roleplaying together in an MMO to using a chatroom because the chatroom allowed a little more detail and longer responses than the dialogue box of the MMO. Sometimes we wrote a single word, sometimes several sentences. We put a lot of thought into the characters and the conflicts that they face, so it ends up being quite enjoyable and no less engaging than writing prose together.

Either you can write more than a one liner, or you can't. I wouldn't call that a flaw,just laziness. imo it just seems lazy to write short one liners to a roleplay I put so much effort in.

I think people were getting defensive against what you were saying. Not because you have a differing opinion, but because you're calling one liners lazy. No one likes to be called lazy after all. You make a good point that detailed rpers are indeed driven off by one liners (I myself sometimes tend to lose interest in one liners on this site pretty quickly). Even so, while it may be true that you either "can" or "can't" write multiple lines, that doesn't mean that being able to write more than one line results in always writing more than one line. Some people just enjoy rapid fire responses more than lengthy ones. I can understand why it seems lazy to write short one liners to roleplays, but I'd argue that people who write one line can sometimes be just as invested in a roleplay as someone who writes long responses.


Here's the thing: if you like to write long responses, it isn't a lot of work to do that. Yes it requires a good deal of thought to craft a good response, but it's the pace that is most appealing to "detailed" rpers. Detailed roleplays are often slower moving, and you can go for longer without responding to a post and no one really gets that worked up about it. It's a gentle but very thought provoking style, that does take effort, but no more than players are willing to put in.


On the flip side, I actually find one line rps more challenging. That might sound strange, but hear me out on this. The expectations on one line responses are that you respond faster. To get an equal amount of description, you have to go back and forth much more, and many rpers go quickly in order to achieve that. If you want to be engaged in an rp that uses a lot of one liners, you have to be prepared to set aside several hours of mutually available time with the other person so that you can get enough done to be satisfying. I think my detailed style is much more "lazy" in the sense that I get to sit back for a bit and relax instead of having to respond immediately.


So the way I see it...


Detailed/more descriptive roleplays = a large amount of thought is put in, but you'll get to it when you get to it.


Simple/more rapid roleplays = responding instantly, but having to set aside a lot of time to invest into moving things along quickly.


If a one line based roleplay moved at the same pace as detailed roleplays usually do, then it does seem like minimal effort is being put into it. But the main reason for that is that the people who are slower to respond keep the people who are typically quick to respond from getting to flesh out the story as quickly as they normally can. One line roleplays are often more beginner friendly, so that is why you will sometimes find lackluster effort and less depth (beginners often aren't sure how to add as much as more experienced players at first). If you get together two or more one line roleplayers who are invested into roleplaying and who are experienced, it moves along very quickly and gets very action packed and engaging. It's not my style, but many avid roleplayers find that this style suits the amount of time they want to invest into a roleplay much better.

 

[Ecstasyia]

This is a very good point, and something that I think a lot of people miss. I have a friend who I've been collaborating on a novel with. You know what else we do? One line roleplays. We're both clearly capable of much longer prose, but we roleplay together for fun. Generally, we'll use a chat site, which lends itself well to one liners. It's rapid fire and fast paced, and can get very action packed.
We actually moved from roleplaying together in an MMO to using a chatroom because the chatroom allowed a little more detail and longer responses than the dialogue box of the MMO. Sometimes we wrote a single word, sometimes several sentences. We put a lot of thought into the characters and the conflicts that they face, so it ends up being quite enjoyable and no less engaging than writing prose together.


I think people were getting defensive against what you were saying. Not because you have a differing opinion, but because you're calling one liners lazy. No one likes to be called lazy after all. You make a good point that detailed rpers are indeed driven off by one liners (I myself sometimes tend to lose interest in one liners on this site pretty quickly). Even so, while it may be true that you either "can" or "can't" write multiple lines, that doesn't mean that being able to write more than one line results in always writing more than one line. Some people just enjoy rapid fire responses more than lengthy ones. I can understand why it seems lazy to write short one liners to roleplays, but I'd argue that people who write one line can sometimes be just as invested in a roleplay as someone who writes long responses.


Here's the thing: if you like to write long responses, it isn't a lot of work to do that. Yes it requires a good deal of thought to craft a good response, but it's the pace that is most appealing to "detailed" rpers. Detailed roleplays are often slower moving, and you can go for longer without responding to a post and no one really gets that worked up about it. It's a gentle but very thought provoking style, that does take effort, but no more than players are willing to put in.


On the flip side, I actually find one line rps more challenging. That might sound strange, but hear me out on this. The expectations on one line responses are that you respond faster. To get an equal amount of description, you have to go back and forth much more, and many rpers go quickly in order to achieve that. If you want to be engaged in an rp that uses a lot of one liners, you have to be prepared to set aside several hours of mutually available time with the other person so that you can get enough done to be satisfying. I think my detailed style is much more "lazy" in the sense that I get to sit back for a bit and relax instead of having to respond immediately.


So the way I see it...


Detailed/more descriptive roleplays = a large amount of thought is put in, but you'll get to it when you get to it.


Simple/more rapid roleplays = responding instantly, but having to set aside a lot of time to invest into moving things along quickly.


If a one line based roleplay moved at the same pace as detailed roleplays usually do, then it does seem like minimal effort is being put into it. But the main reason for that is that the people who are slower to respond keep the people who are typically quick to respond from getting to flesh out the story as quickly as they normally can. One line roleplays are often more beginner friendly, so that is why you will sometimes find lackluster effort and less depth (beginners often aren't sure how to add as much as more experienced players at first). If you get together two or more one line roleplayers who are invested into roleplaying and who are experienced, it moves along very quickly and gets very action packed and engaging. It's not my style, but many avid roleplayers find that this style suits the amount of time they want to invest into a roleplay much better.

You got it completely wrong, I was speaking from my experience. In one of my old roleplays, someone kept doing one liners after I asked them not too. That's what I call lazy, not doing one liners in your own roleplay. I'm just saying that if you want to join my roleplay, you've gotta be committed to more than a one liner. Hence why I said 'I'. In your own roleplay, you do you. I couldn't care less.


Also do you know how much time and thought I put into one post to make it enjoyable for EVERYONE in the roleplay? It's funny how people get upset about me calling them lazy when you just basically called me lazy and I bet they'll say nothing. Like I said, no post is going to change my mind, from my experience, people that post one liners are to lazy to add detail. In a way, it's true.


Also,


Detailed post = time and effort = not lazy.


one liner = no thought at all = lazy.


That is how I see it. And it's baffling to me how people can think otherwise.

 

[ApfelSeine]

You got it completely wrong, I was speaking from my experience. In one of my old roleplays, someone kept doing one liners after I asked them not too. That's what I call lazy, not doing one liners in your own roleplay. I'm just saying that if you want to join my roleplay, you've gotta be committed to more than a one liner. Hence why I said 'I'. In your own roleplay, you do you. I couldn't care less.

I do understand that it feels disrespectful if a player disregards your request to follow the style of your roleplay. And you're right to get frustrated with those players. I think I didn't really quote the correct post, since I was referring to the fact that in reference to roleplays you also said:

I think they are a sign of laziness.

Which is why I was explaining how people were taking offense to what you were saying. While you're talking about your own roleplays, you've (probably inadvertently) ended up making generalized statements. Or at the very least statements that sound generalized. You could as easily say "it's lazy/rude not to follow the rules of the GM", and that would be more on point with what you are trying to say. By saying that one liners are a sign of laziness, it can't really be taken any other way than you thinking that the players who do one liners are lazy in general.


One liners are not a sign of laziness, though it can be a style that is more accessible to lazy players. It is also the favored choice of many avid and hardcore roleplayers. While you might not care what people do on their own time, the fact remains that one line roleplays can be just as much of an investment (if not more). It's not my style, not because of laziness (laziness in detailed rps have also driven me off), but because of the amount of time I'm expected to invest into responding quickly.

 

[Ecstasyia]

I do understand that it feels disrespectful if a player disregards your request to follow the style of your roleplay. And you're right to get frustrated with those players. I think I didn't really quote the correct post, since I was referring to the fact that in reference to roleplays you also said:
Which is why I was explaining how people were taking offense to what you were saying. While you're talking about your own roleplays, you've (probably inadvertently) ended up making generalized statements. Or at the very least statements that sound generalized. You could as easily say "it's lazy/rude not to follow the rules of the GM", and that would be more on point with what you are trying to say. By saying that one liners are a sign of laziness, it can't really be taken any other way than you thinking that the players who do one liners are lazy in general.


One liners are not a sign of laziness, though it can be a style that is more accessible to lazy players. It is also the favored choice of many avid and hardcore roleplayers. While you might not care what people do on their own time, the fact remains that one line roleplays can be just as much of an investment (if not more). It's not my style, not because of laziness (laziness in detailed rps have also driven me off), but because of the amount of time I'm expected to invest into responding quickly.

Well, if what you are saying is true, then I apologize for offending anybody. However, I do think one liners are a sign of laziness. Just like you think they are not. I think they are. And that is my opinion. I am not going to censor my opinion because my opinion could hurt other peoples. If you don't want to put time and effort into roleplaying, whatever. Just know that you might be opening yourself to a wide range of criticism. If you can't take my opinion, than that's your fault.


And if you think being detailed is 'lazy' then that is your opinion too. Why should mine be censored when you said the exact thing? I've already apologized, but just know, I'm going to voice my opinion, just like you and everyone else here. I am done talking in this thread. Have a good day.

 

[ApfelSeine]

Well, if what you are saying is true, then I apologize for offending anybody. However, I do think one liners are a sign of laziness. And I am not going to censor my opinion because my opinion could hurt other peoples.

That was what I initially assumed, so I was confused when you said that you were only talking about your own roleplays. I think I made some decent points about why it isn't "lazy" to give one line responses to a one line based roleplay in my initial response.


I can most certainly understand finding it difficult to see the appeal of one liners. It does attract many players who are very invested into the action and plotline of a story, so I still assert that it is an unfair generalization to say that one liners are a sign of laziness. I'm not a particularly big fan of one line roleplays (except in some circumstances), but I do know that there are many one line players who are very avid roleplayers. Their style of being quick to respond and brief is not something inherently inferior. On the contrary, people who like to invest a lot of time into the actual roleplaying (as opposed to world building and character profiles), are often drawn to faster paced roleplays. One lines lend themselves better to a faster pace.

 

[call me rae]

Well I think a lot of time the problem is more in phrasing than anything. Most people if you point blank asked them will tell you they do not think people who post one-liners are bad horrible wastes of space. They would just prefer that those people not respond to their multi-paragraph posts with just a handful of words.


The problem is that people can sometimes write that sentiment in a somewhat negative way without meaning to.


And also there are just people that mistake disagreement with antagonism. I can disagree with you or have a different preference from you without it in any way indicating I dislike you as a person or think your bad.


For me it's the same thing with romance. It's not my cup of tea. I find it boring and that it often derails the plot. But does that mean that if someone were to ask me to do a romance roleplay I'd be like "Omg romance is stupid it ruins roleplays GTFO with your horrible n00bish crap"


Of course not that's rude and also blatantly not true. Just because I think that romance is silly and doesn't help the plot doesn't mean that I think everyone should or will agree.


But just the same way I'm not going to attack someone for wanting to write five sentence responses based entirely around romance. I'd just as soon they return the favor with my own preferences.


If we can both manage that than I think we're going great and there need not be any drama.

 

[Captifate]

Ah yes, one-liners and script. My fave.


I think I've seen the term "rapidfire" get thrown around with regards to this. Sometimes I just want to chill after a long day of errands and whatnot and dabble in self-indulgent RPs. Usually of the shipping variety.


I've always found one-liners to be great for character development or exploring character dynamics. A back and forth. Banter. A really good writer can distinguish between two characters with their dialogue alone. At least, that's what my experience has been like.

 

[Ecstasyia]

Ah yes, one-liners and script. My fave.
I think I've seen the term "rapidfire" get thrown around with regards to this. Sometimes I just want to chill after a long day of errands and whatnot and dabble in self-indulgent RPs. Usually of the shipping variety.


I've always found one-liners to be great for character development or exploring character dynamics. A back and forth. Banter. A really good writer can distinguish between two characters with their dialogue alone. At least, that's what my experience has been like.

lmao i cant tell if this is sarcastic or not

 

[Captifate]

lmao i cant tell if this is sarcastic or not

To clarify for both your sake and OP, no, I am not being sarcastic nor was I addressing anyone in particular with my original response.

 

[hexaphenylbenzene]

i personally have a really hard time writing in one-line or script style, and i've been rping for a very long time. I think it might stem from the fact that i'm already a very superfluous writer and i can easily feed off of people's replies. If you give me a lot to work with, I can give you double and toss in a plot twist. that's probably why I also have trouble writing one-liners because i want to provide the other person with enough information to inspire a good response, and i just can't fit all the detail i want into one line.

 

[MISTER UN. 0W3N]

As a long-time roleplayer and "detailed" writer.... I can say... I like this thread. =w= / Honestly, the whole point about RPing is doing what you like and in what comfortable setting you want to do it in. There's definitely a lot of hate/dislike on all sides for the way people roleplay. At most, what I can say is that I just don't like the tag system. In general, the writing level SHOULD be set by the thread owner more so than a silly little tag. It's as previous users said, you'd wind up with different roleplaying styles throwing people off and starting conflict. But, if it's specified in the rules, then it saves you a bit of a headache (regarding that area).


Anyways... I say those that like to stick to one-lining and those that like paragraphs... just keep doing you. :U Keep having fun!

 

[Coward]

Everybody's right is my opinion!


Okay here is my totally scientific formula for what is best everyone pay attention.


Chat RP: Script or 1 liners best, gotta go fast.


Forum and both players online: whatever the hell length you want


Forum with large time gaps between posts (as in, you're in different hemispheres or something): Multi-paragraph the only tolerable way to move the story forward.


Honestly if you're doing 1 post a day or less I have no idea how someone could put up with just a couple of sentences. That is devastatingly slow, and I have a theory it's a reason a lot of simple/casual RPs fail. Either there's no character or world depth because you're trying to move the plot, or the plot crawls because those two lines have no action. Short posts don't matter at all if the post rate is fast, but if it's slow that's the kiss of death.

 

[ViAdvena]

Honestly if you're doing 1 post a day or less I have no idea how someone could put up with just a couple of sentences. That is devastatingly slow, and I have a theory it's a reason a lot of simple/casual RPs fail. Either there's no character or world depth because you're trying to move the plot, or the plot crawls because those two lines have no action. Short posts don't matter at all if the post rate is fast, but if it's slow that's the kiss of death.

Ah, I agree with these. For me, one-liner rp is good when it's a real-time one. For the good kind of one liner (not the lazy one where the respond consist of one word) it force the writer to be spontaneous, and spontaneity often result in creativity. I can understand how one-liner can be viewed as lazy if you have the whole day to write but only spawn one sentence. But in a short span of time, it can be a good exercise to write and think fast.

I've always found one-liners to be great for character development or exploring character dynamics. A back and forth. Banter. A really good writer can distinguish between two characters with their dialogue alone. At least, that's what my experience has been like.

This too! It's easier to build character voice when we can compare it with a character that's not ours

 

[AndR01D]

I may be a bit unusual here in that although I like to write in a lot of detail myself, I really don't think the hate towards short posts in general is justified. People have different styles, and that's fine.


One thing I do appreciate though is that it can be tough for these styles to mix. If someone writes several paragraphs detailing their character's actions, and their partner simply says "Jenny nods and picks up the sword", it can feel like a bit of a cop out. For that reason I really appreciate the detail tagging system this site has going. It's not so much that a particular style is right or wrong, it's that they're not always compatible with each other in the same RP.